Europe Tries to Spend Its Way out of the Coronavirus Crisis

In recent days, Europe's five largest economies (Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain) have each unveiled various relief measures intended to mitigate the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak, including cheaper credit lines, tax delays, and additional support for workers whose incomes have been affected. The measures all share the same goal: putting extra money in the pockets of companies and individuals struggling to make ends meet under increasingly strict quarantine measures. But it could take weeks, if not months, for the impact of such efforts to be fully realized. And in the meantime, many businesses across the Continent will go bankrupt, while others may be forced to permanently lay-off some of the workers they've suspended due to the outbreak. ...